CAMERON, Mo. — State transportation officials heard about traffic pileups on U.S. Highway 36 and deteriorating rural routes during a first-ever meeting Wednesday in Cameron.

The voiced needs and complaints came as the Missouri Department of Transportation released results from its annual satisfaction survey, which showed 85 percent of Missourians were satisfied with the agency.

The Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission’s Wednesday meeting also served as the first one with a St. Joseph man at the helm.

David Gach, owner and president of Dave’s Diesel service and manager of Gach Excavation, became chairman of the commission last month when then-chairman Mike Kehoe resigned for a run at the Missouri Senate.

During a presentation from regional stakeholders, Cameron Development Director Shellby Hendee thanked the department for efforts to transform Highway 36 to a four-lane corridor from St. Joseph to Hannibal. The thoroughfare should be completed next year.

He also praised the MoDOT-community partnership that funded the extension of McElwain Drive to help with emergency vehicle access to developments in Cameron north of Highway 36. Prior to that, the Walnut Street overpass offered the only immediate access. Mr. Hendee said the extension helped attract Case New Holland to Cameron in 2007.

But he outlined other highway needs that still exist for Cameron.

For example, he pointed to the pileups of semi-trailers that often occur near the awkwardly placed hanging stoplight on Highway 36 at Griffin Road.

“It’s going to take about $1.3 million to fix that mess,” Mr. Hendee said.

Also, the portion of U.S. Highway 69 that runs through Cameron, which is locally called Walnut Street, needs resurfacing and curve work, and many of the sidewalks have sunk into the ground. And in light of a recent death of a pedestrian who fell off the overpass, Mr. Hendee called for significant improvements, such as fences, to accommodate the higher foot traffic to the development north of Highway 36.

“One of the reasons we travel across the state is to hear what we heard today,” said Commissioner Duane Michie, who said he hoped the department gauged needs “according to what the locals want to do … We should be about listening to what the customers want.”

And then commissioners heard from an unhappy customer.

Keith Sutton, a Jamesport farmer, complained about the crumbling state of lettered routes in rural parts of the Northwest Missouri district, particularly Missouri Highway B, where he lives.

“They suck. Some of them are extremely dangerous,” Mr. Sutton said. “I could’ve brought part of B Highway with me today, but I was afraid I’d be accused of stealing.”

MoDOT Director Pete Rahn said the condition likely will grow even worse since the state doesn’t have the money to maintain or improve its 27,000 miles of rural roads.

“This isn’t just really about Route B,” Mr. Rahn said. “We’re going to be struggling on these roads … and I’m not going to try to blow smoke at you.”

In other news, commissioners unanimously approved the state’s application for a federal high-speed intercity passenger rail program. The state is looking to make more than $150 million in improvements to its Kansas City-St. Louis Amtrak passenger rail service.

Alyson E. Raletz can be reached

at alysonraletz@npgco.com.